PERNICIOUS PASSION

The Lieder of Hans Rott, by TESS CREBBIN

Today, 1 August 2004, marks the 146th anniversary of the birth of the Austrian composer Hans Rott (1858-1884), who died, tragically young, in a Viennese mental institution on 25 June 1884. Ever since Rott's official discovery in 1989 by the London musicologist Dr Paul Banks, and the subsequent first recording of his Symphony No 1 in E major (1878-1880) [listen], this composer has been taking the musical world, and especially the Mahlerites, by storm. As a member of the circle of friends around the young Gustav Mahler, and as favorite student of Anton Bruckner, the discovery of Rott has been an immeasurable enrichment to classical music. Despite his tragically short life he was able to make a significant contribution to music history, of such magnitude that Mahler called him 'the founder of the new symphony as we know it' [listen].

Owing to the efforts of many high profile names in the world of classical music, among them Dennis Russell Davies, Erwin Horn and Dr Uwe Harten, founder of the International Rott society, Rott's works are increasingly receiving attention, for performances, recording and scholarly investigation. Of this significant Viennese composer, many works are yet to become available to the public. The musical world has been waiting particularly for Rott's Lieder that were, for a long time, thought to have been lost.

These are now scheduled for publication by the Viennese publisher Doblinger and are expected to become available in early 2005. The full edition of Rott Lieder is currently in preparation at the Viennese house. 'We are still in the early stages,' says Dr Angela Pachovsky of Doblinger, 'but the first draft is ready and we are expecting to be able to make them available as a publication by the first quarter of the New Year. With the Lieder, we will also add Rott's Pater Noster in G major for Baritone and String Quartet.'